| 11.09.03 - With apologies to Dorothy; there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.
And there’s nobody quite like Doug Flutie.
When Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer made the decision to insert Flutie into the lineup as the Chargers starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Vikings, he did so with one goal in mind: jumpstart the Bolts dormant offense.
Good call.
Flutie was just what the doctor ordered for the Bolts, who exploded for a season-high 42 points and 458 yards of total offense during an impressive 42-28 victory over Minnesota in front of 64,738 appreciative fans in San Diego’s first game at Qualcomm Stadium since Sept. 21, a span of seven weeks.
“It’s good to be home,” offered Schottenheimer.
To put the offensive outburst into perspective: it was the most points scored by the Chargers since Dec. 27, 1993, a span of nearly 10 years.
The seemingly ageless 41-year-old signal caller completed 21 of 29 passes for 248 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while also rushing for two scores, the first time in his career he has rushed for multiple touchdowns in the same game.
Flutie’s presence appeared to energize everybody around him, including the always reliable LaDainian Tomlinson, who had another one of his typically brilliant days. Tomlinson finished with 207 combined yards from scrimmage, including 162 and two touchdowns on the ground and 45 more on six catches. Tomlinson set the tone early when he ripped through the Vikings defense for a career-long 73-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Later, he added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Wide receiver David Boston also joined the fray, catching seven passes for 82 yards and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Flutie that started the points barrage. Rookie tight end Antonio Gates also continued to turn heads, catching three passes for 55 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass from Flutie.
“It was fun. I had a blast,” said Flutie. “It was an emotionally draining day. It might have been the longest game I think I’ve ever had to play. I felt like we did so many things early. That first half seemed to last forever.
“I just made plays. We didn’t have the mistakes. They weren’t the best defense in the league; let’s not get too carried away. But, we didn’t kill ourselves. We didn’t kill ourselves with penalties. We didn’t turn the ball over. Guys made plays when they had the opportunity.”
“I thought he played very well, and I thought everyone around him played very well, too,” said Schottenheimer, who stopped just short of naming Flutie his starter for next week’s game at Denver. “He was extremely accurate. The ball came out quick and he was very decisive in his reads. Clearly, it was a very impressive performance. There is no doubt about that.
“Doug played well today and he is probably going to be the starter next week. But we don’t need to go beyond that. We may in fact commit to Doug, but not today.”
San Diego’s offensive outburst overshadowed a stellar performance by Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who completed 32 of 44 passes for 370 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Not surprisingly, Culpepper’s favorite target was all-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss, who hauled in 11 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown. Running back Moe Williams added 11 catches for 126 yards and two touchdown catches.
“We talked before the game about what we had to focus on today,” said Schottenheimer. “We went out and did the things we had to do. They are a very explosive offensive football team. We felt like we had to work to contain them and keep their big plays to a minimum. We were able to do that. We also knew that taking the ball away from them would be a big plus. The most important thing was not to give it back to them. So we succeeded in those areas. It was a solid win.”
The Bolts scored on their opening possession when Flutie found Boston for a 3-yard touchdown. The drive covered 63 yards in seven plays, with Flutie completing three of four passes for 39 yards while also scrambling for a 4-yard gain. Boston caught all three of Flutie’s passes, including the touchdown as well as a key 28-yard gain.
Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Tomlinson scored on a beautiful 73-yard touchdown run on the Chargers next drive, the longest scoring jaunt of his career. Tomlinson’s touchdown gave the Chargers a 14-0 lead with 7:51 left in the first quarter.
The lead didn’t last long, with the Vikings scoring on their next possession on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Culpepper to Moss, tightening the score to 14-7 with 2:09 left in the opening period.
The barrage continued on San Diego’s next possession with Flutie scrambling in from three yards out on third and goal, putting San Diego up, 21-7, with 11:36 to play before halftime.
The Vikings answered once again on their next possession when Culpepper found wide receiver Nate Burleson for a 19-yard touchdown. Schottenheimer challenged the call when it appeared that Burleson’s second foot landed out of bounds, but after review, referee Ed Hochuli ruled that the ball appeared to be on Burleson’s finger tips when his first foot was still on the ground, giving Minnesota the touchdown and making the score 21-14 with 4:42 left to play in the second quarter.
Flutie kept the barnburner going on the ensuing drive when he found Gates for a 4-yard touchdown pass to increase San Diego’s lead to 28-14 with 25 seconds to go before the break. It was Gates’ first career touchdown catch.
The Vikings got the ball first in the second half and picked where they left off, driving deep into Chargers territory, but a fumble by running back Michael Bennett ended the drive. Bennett picked up good yardage on the play, but was popped by safety Jerry Wilson, forcing the ball loose. Linebacker Zeke Moreno pounced on the ball, giving San Diego possession at its own 4-yard line.
On the next play, Tomlinson tilted the field back into the Chargers direction with a 55-yard run out to Minnesota’s 41-yard line. Unfortunately, the Chargers couldn’t move the ball any further, and punter Darren Bennett made his first appearance of the game other than as a holder on extra points. After a 29-yard punt, the Vikings took back over at their 12-yard line.
After a solid defensive stop, the Chargers took back over at their 43. Tomlinson took over from there, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run that increased San Diego’s lead to 35-14 with 1:36 left in the third quarter.
The Vikings responded when Culpepper connected with Williams for a 31-yard touchdown pass that pushed the score to 35-21 just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Then came the weirdest play of the game. Facing second and seven from Minnesota’s 13, Flutie fumbled the snap from center. But rather than panicking, he picked up the loose ball and raced up the center of the field and through the grasp of safety Brian Russell on his way to the end zone, giving the Chargers a 42-21 advantage with 8:11 remaining in regulation.
Culpepper tacked on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Williams to make the score 42-28 with 4:20 remaining, keeping the outcome of the game still in doubt.
Down by two scores, Minnesota opted for an onside kick, which the Vikings recovered. The officials ruled on the field that the player who recovered the ball – safety Willie Offord – landed on his shoulder out of bounds. Minnesota Head Coach Mike Tice challenged the ruling, sending Hochuli back to the replay machine. Once again, Hochuli ruled in Minnesota’s favor, and the Vikings took over at the 50-yard line.
Seven plays later, rookie safety Terrence Kiel effectively sealed the win for the Chargers when he intercepted Culpepper in the end zone.
After being named the starter on Friday, Flutie made it clear that he believes that football is the ultimate team game. Sunday’s performance solidified his position.
“I told these guys the other night…my job is to get the ball out of my hands and into your hands,” said Flutie. “We have a lot talented skill position guys. If we get the ball in their hands enough, they are going to make plays. When people believe we are going to make a play or believe things are going well, they are going to play loose, relaxed and with confidence. You would have to ask them how that occurs. I don’t know. I just try to play football.”
And for the second time this season, the Chargers played winning football on Sunday, giving their beleaguered fans something to smile about for the first time in what feels like an eternity.
There’s no place like home. | |
